Sealing apparatus



Oct 1944. A. J. WHITE ETAL SEALING APPARATUS 2 Sheds-Sheet 1 S, ,w w e n.tmwwv S h P O w w i tJ aA n P Guns Q E Im kT 9 At M a w m m Oct. 31,1944. A" WHITE 2,361,517

SEALING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l I I I l I II I l I I I I I I I l I I I l I I I I l I I Inventors Ar-Lhuf- J. White.Anthony .J. Marshaus,

by 4, 84 I Their" Attorhey.

Patented Oct. 31, 1944 SEALING APPARATUS Arthur J. White, ClevelandHeights, and Anthony J. Marshaus, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignors toGeneral Electric Company, a corporation of New York ApplicationSeptember 22, 1939. Serial No. 296,084

8 Claims.

Our invention relates to apparatus for sealing vitreous bodies togetherand more particularly to apparatus for sealing the stems of incandescentand are lamps and other electrical devices to the enclosing bulb orenvelope.

According to the method disclosed in application Serial No. 176,910, A.J. White, filed November 27, 1937, two vitreous bodies such as a stemand an envelope for an enclosed arc lamp can be sealed together by theheat generated by induction in a conductive body located adjacent andpreferably in contact with one of the vitreous bodies. The principalobject of our invention is to provide apparatus for sealing two vitreousbodies together in this manner.

Another object of our invention is to provide apparatus forautomatically positioning the vitreous bodies in sealing relation andmanipulating and timing automatically all operations in the sealingprocess.

Another object of our invention is to provide,

apparatus for sealing the electrode supporting stems in both ends of thevitreous tube forming the enclosure or envelope for an arc lamp.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of a species thereof and from theaccompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sealing apparatus comprisingour invention with some of the heads thereof only outlined and othersbroken away to show the underlying parts; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionthrough the turret along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the adjacent head shownin elevation; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cage for supportingthe stem and the end of the vitreous envelope to be sealed thereto; Fig.

4 is a front elevation of the gripping jaws of the head; and Fig. 5 is adiagrammatic perspective view of the operating and repositioning meansfor the push down apparatus and induction coils respectively.

The sealing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is comprised of sixteen heads I0mounted about the periphery of the turret H which is indexed in acounter-clockwise direction in a manner to advance each 01. the headsit] into each of the stations indicated in turn. An operator standsbefore stations A and B and, in the interval the heads III are at thesestations, inserts a stem in cage l2 (Figs. 1 and 2) and the tubularvitreous envelope l3 in between the jaws l4 and I5. As shown in Fig. 3,the stem It comprises a flared stem tube l'l sealed to one end of theexhaust tube and and the operation of inserting said stem I 6 in themachine consists in threading the lower ends of the exhaust tube l8 andthe leading-in wires l9 and 20 through the center opening in the 'holder2| and resting the flange 22 of the stem tube H on the ring-'shapedheating element 23 carried thereby. .An upwardly projecting button 24 onthe holder 2| serves to locate the stem ii and to provide protection forthe leading-in wires l9 and 20 at this point. The holder 2| is made of anon-magnetic and non-conductive material such as asbestos or sillimanitewhereas the heating element 23, which rests in a similarly shapedcircular groove therein, is made of a conductive material which does notstick to the vitreous stem l6, such as carbon. The heating element 23fits loosely in the holder 2| and can be lifted out and replaced asoften as desired. As there is some danger of the exhaust tube 13 beingstruck and broken off during the operation of the sealing apparatus. thelower end thereof enters a central aperture in the non-conductive guard25 which i3 and about portions of the leading-in wires I9 '65 is mountedon continuations of the metal side rods 26 on which the holder 2i ismounted. The side rods 26 and the plate 21 from which they extend are,in this instance, of brass. The metal bracket 28 attached to the turretll by the nut 23 supports the cage assembly l2.

The insertion of the tubular envelope or bulb l3 takes place after theoperator opens or separates the jaws l4 and i5 by swinging the lever 33to one side. The Jaws l4 and i5 are pivoted on separate rods 31extending downward from bracket 32 and are normally held in a closedposition by the wedge 33 which takes a position between the rollers 34on rearwardly extending portions thereof. When said laws It and I5 areopened, the wedge 33 is withdrawn from between said rollers 34 by thelever 35 which is connected to the manually actuated lever 30 throughthe link 36 and a spring 31 extending between posts in the rearwardlyextending portions of said jaws It and I5 separates said jaws. The lever35 engages the wedge 33 through a pin 38 entering a slot in the lever 35and causes the Jaws l4 and i5 to close when manual pressure is takenfrom the lever 30 as the contracting force of the spring 39 then pullsit out of position. The spring 33 extends between posts in the lever 35and the bracket 32 which also provides guide ways on top of the laws Itand i5 for the wedge 33. Jaw it engages the tubublar envelope or bulb i3at two difierent points through the V-notched plates 40 whereas Jaw i5engages said envelope or bulb i3 through the rubber insert 4| whichprevents it from being moved longitudinally while gripped thereby.

When the envelope I3 is inserted in the jaws l4 and I5, the rim of theopening in the lower end is rested on the flange 22 of the stem |6 asshown in Fig. 3 and said jaws are at a height determined by the positionof the rods 3| which support the collars 42 on which the said jaws rest.The rods 3| are mounted in vertical openings in the stationary bracket43 fastened to the standard 44 extending upward from the bracket 28 andare positioned vertically by the yoke 45 on the lower ends thereof. Atthis time, the pressure of expansion of the spring 46 within the upperend of the standard 44 turns the lever 4'! which engages the pin 48 heldby the yoke 45 so that said yoke 45 is kept against the bracket 43. Thelever 41 pivots on the pin 49 held by bracket 43 and is permitted toswing to this position only as the pawl 50 is tripped between unloadingand reloading of the envelope or bulb l3. The tripping is done by thescrew on the end of the bar which extends downward between the jaws l4and I5 from the wedge 33 and backward through an opening in the standard44 and which is moved back against the pawl 50 by the greater closingmovement of jaws N and I5 when the envelope or bulb I3 is nottherebetween.

The next succeeding stations taken by the head H] are idle ones and itis not until stations E and F are reached that electrical energy isintroduced in the ring-shaped heating elements 23 carried by the cagesl2. At these stations, two hollow coils 52 and 52 connected to a sourceof high frequency electricity are moved up about the cages I2 so as toinduce a relatively high current in the heating elements, sufficient tocause the outer portion of the flange 22 of the stem |8 and the lowerportion of the rim of the bulb l3 to be fused and sealed together. Insome instances, the outer portion of the flange 22 is melted down atstation E and it becomes desirable for the bulb |3 to be pushed downthereagainst again at this station; otherwise the bulb l3'is not moveddown until station F is reached. Whether the bulb I3 is moved verticallydepends on the adjustment of the bulb shifting means which consists ofthe cross arm 53 mounted on the upper end of a vertical rod 54 passingthrough the center of the machine and means held thereby which engagesand raises the inner end of the levers 41 of the heads ID. The end ofthe arm 53 adjacent the heads ID at stations E and F carries an angularbracket 55 on which is mounted the guides 56 for the push pins 51 and anupward movement of the arm 53 carries said pins 51 against the screws 58in the end of the levers 41. The push pins 51 rest on springs 59 withinthe guides 56 which limit the pressure with which the bulbs l3 arepressed down onto the flares IS. The compression force under which thespring 53 is held is established by the distance the adjusting screw 60is screwed in or out of the guide 55. If no vertical adjustment of thebulb I3 is desired at station E, the screw 60 or guide 55 can be loweredso that the push pin 51 does not engage the screw 58. Once the lever 41and bulb H! are moved, there is no further use for the shifting means asthe pawl 50 which is pivotally mounted on said lever 41 at 6| is pressedagainst the teeth of the insert 62 by the spring 53 and is held in placethereby.

The cross arm 53 of the shifting means is moved vertically in propertime relation to the other operations of the machine in the same manneras the induction coils 52' and 52 by cam means on the single drive shaft64 shown in Fig. 5. The drive shaft 54 is mounted below the turret II inthe frame (not shown) of the machine and is the means for actuating theindexing means (also not shown) for the turret The rod 54 on which thecross arm 53 is mounted extends downward through the hollow column 65supporting the turret II and connecting it to the indexing means and isactuated from the cam 66 through the lever system comprising levers 51and 68. Lever 61 is pivotally mounted on the frame of the machinethrough the bracket 63 and engages the ways of the cam 66 through aroller (not shown)' whereas lever 63 is pivotally mounted on the bracket10 extending from the frame and is connected to the lever 61 throughlinks II and to rod 54 through link 12 and block 13. The actuatin meansfor the induction coils 52' and 52 at these stations comprises the cam'14; the lever 15 which engages the said cam 14 through a roller (notshown) and the vertically disposed rod '16 which is attached to saidlever 15 through the link I1 and block 18 and which extends upwardthrough the frame and the bracket '19 thereon to the platform 80. Lever15 turns about the pivot provided in the bracket 8| which is fastened tothe frame. Both induction coils 52 and 52 are connected in series by thesingle piece of flattened pipe forming both coils and are attached tothe platform Bllby the end portions thereof which are clamped onto theinsulating plate 82 thereon.

During the intervals the head I0 is at stations E and F, the heatingelement 23 is increasing in temperature and during the movement of thehead I0 through stations G and H some effective heat still remainstherein. It is, therefore, preferred that the bulb l3 and stem I6, nowas a single unit, be left in the head l0 unitl station J is reached. Thelamps taken from the machine are first placed in an annealer which heatsthe sealed end and are then transferred to a rack to cool.

The function of one half of the stations of the machine has now beendescribed and the sealing of a stem l6 over one end of the tubularenvelope or bulb I3 is complete. The other half of the machineduplicates the operations performed by the first half in sealing asecond stem to the opposite end of the bulb l3. To do this, the bulbs IIare removed from the heads I0, turned end for end, and returned thereto.A considerable saving in equipment and handling is realized by thismethod of operation since some of the apparatus required for the firsthalf also functions in the second half and since handling of the bulbsI3 is reduced to a minimum. The bulbs l3 and stems in this instance areinserted in the head I. while they are at stations J and K in the samemanner as these operations were performed at stations A and B; the stemfirst being placed on th heating element 23, thereupon the bulb I3 isreinserted in the jaws |4-|5 and pushed down into enzazement with thestem. As described heretofore in connection with the sealing of thefirst stem, the leads I9 and 20 are threaded through the central openingin the holder 2| and the stem is positioned laterally by the button 24.Between the time the bulb I3 is removed from the head II and returnedthereto, the operator removes his hand from the release lever Ill of thejaws l4|5 so that they close and the screw on the end of bar 5| engagesthe pawl 50 which is withdrawn from between the teeth of the insert CI.The laws ll-I5 are then free to rise to their upper position and take aposition corresponding to that held at stations A and B. Following theinsertion of the stem and bulb I3 into the head ll, it is indexed inturn to station L and then to station M which are idle stations.

The heat for sealing is created in the heating elements 23 by theelectrical current induced therein by theinduction coils 84 and 85 atstations N and O. The induction coils 84 and 85 are mounted oninsulating plate 88 on a movable platform 81 like in the prior instancebut are moved in and out of operative relation to the cage H of the headI by movement of the rod 88 (F18. 5) which is actuated from lever 89through link 90 and block 8|. Lever 89 pivots on a pin extending fromthe bracket 92 on the frame and engages the ways of the cam 93 through aroller not shown. For reasons of simplicity, the induction coils 84 and85 are connected in series with the other induction coils 52' and 52 atstations E and F. The series connection is made through hollow flexiblepipe 84 and the connections from the source of high frequency current 98are made through tubular pipe 95 to one end of coil 84 and lead 98 (Fig.2) to the end 83 of coil 52. The cooling water is introduced into thehollow interior of the pipe 95 through the rubber hose 8'! and afterflowing through each of the coils 84, 85, 52' and 52 passes out the coilend 83 (see Fig. 2). The bulb IS in this instance is pushed down bymeans on the other end of the cross arm 58 in the same manner as atstations E and F. The period taken by the head ill in passing throughthe next two stations P and Q permits the lamp seal to cool. Thefinished lamp is removed .from the machine at station A. 1

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. Apparatus for sealing a pluraiityof vitreous bodies togethercomprising a heating element of material which is capable of beingheated by induction and to which the fused vitreous bodies will notpermanently adhere, said element being arranged to engage and support atleast one of the vitreous bodies at the area where it is to be sealed, aholder of non-magnetic material for supporting the heating element, asupporting cage for the holder comprising rods for suspending saidholder, means independent of said cage for holding a second vitreousbody in sealing relation to the first-mentioned vitreous body, and aninduction coil disposed in axial alignment with said cage and means formoving said coil to a position surrounding the said cage and the holderfor inducing electrical currents into said heating element to heat it toa high degree so that heat is conducted therefrom to the vitreous bodiesin sufficient quantity to cause the adjacent portions thereof to befused together.

2. Apparatus for sealing a plurality of vitreous bodies togethercomprising a heating element of material which is capable of beingheated by induction and to which the fused vitreous bodies will notpermanently adhere, 'said element being arranged to. engage and supportat least one of the vitreous bodies at the area where it is to besealed, a holder of non-magnetic material for supporting the heatingelement and positioning the said vitreous body thereon, a supportingcage for the holder comprising rods for suspending said holder, grippingmeans independent of said cage for holding a second vitreous body, aninduction coil disposed in axial alignment with said cage and means formoving said coil to a posi.

tion surrounding said cage and holder for induc- 18 electrical currentsinto the heating element to heat it to a high degree so that heat isconducted therefrom to the vitreous bodies in sufficient quantity tocause-the adjacent portions thereof to be fused together, and means formoving said gripping means nearer the heating element for pressing thesecond-mentioned body against the first to compress the sealtherebetween.

3. Apparatus for sealing electric lamp stems in both ends of a tubularenvelope comprising an intermittently rotatable turret, a plurality ofheads mounted on said turret and carried thereby through a plurality ofstations, each of said heads comprising a stem support member capable ofbeing heated by induction and arranged to hold a stem in an uprightposition, each of said heads further comprising an envelope holderarranged above and in alignment with said stem support member to hold anenvelope in a vertical position with its lower end enclosing andengaging said stem, induction coils located at at least two heatingstations in vertical alignment with the path of movement of said heads,means for mov ing said coils vertically in timed relation'to the turretmovement to and from positions surrounding stem support memberstemporarily located at said heating stations to heat said stem supportmembers by induction and thereby fuse the stems thereon to the adjacentends of the envelopes, said coils being separated by at least onestation to permit reversal of the envelope thereat andinsertion of asecond stem in the head at said one station so that the said second stemis fused to the other end of the envelope at the second heating station.

4. Apparatus for sealing a stem to the end of an electric lamp envelopecomprising a horizontal turret rotatably mounted on a vertical hollowcolumn, a plurality of heads carried by said turret through a pluralityof stations, each of said heads comprising support means mounted onsaidturret, a stem holder rigidly supported by said support means, andan envelope holder in vertical alignment with said stem holder andslidably mounted on said support means for vertical movement, meanslocated at stations on opposite sides of said turret for effectingheating and sealing of a stem and adjacent envelope end in heads locatedat said opposed stations, and means for vertically moving the envelopeholders of the opposite heads located at said opposed stations tov wardthe co-operating stem holders to compress the seals between the stemsand envelopes in said heads, said last-mentioned means comprising ahorizontal cross arm extending diametrically across and above saidturret between said opposite heads, the envelope holders on said headsbeing provided with engagement means engageable by the ends of saidcross arm, a vertical shaft extending through the hollow column andcarrying the said cross arm at its upper end, and means forreciprocating said shaft vertically to carry the cross arm to and fromengagement with the engagement means of envelope holders on saidopposite heads to actuate said holders.

5. In apparatus for sealing a stem to the end of an electric lampenvelope, a headcomprising support means, a stem holderrigidly'supported by said support means, and an envelope holdercomprising separable Jaws in vertical alignment with said stem holderand mounted to slide bodily on said support means in a verticaldirection, 9, laterally extending lever connected at one end to aportionof said envelope holder and mounted on a pin extending from saidsupport means to pivot in a vertical plane, spring means normallytending to pivot said lever in a direction to hold said envelope holderin a raised position, means for fusing said stem and envelope together,actuating mechanism arranged to engage said lever and pivot it againstthe action of said spring means to lower the envelope holder and theenvelope therein to compress the fused portions of the stem and envelopeagainst the said stem holder, a ratchet carried by said support meansadjacent to said lever, a spring-pressed pawl carried by said lever in aposition to normally engage said ratchet and thereby retain the envelopeholder in its lowered position against the action of said spring meanson said lever, means for actuating said envelope holder jaws comprisinga wedge member movable into and out of position between portions of saidjaws, and release means comprising a bar member connected to said wedgemember and terminating at a point adjacent to said pawl, said bar memberbeing adapted to engage said pawl and release it from the ratchet uponmovement of said wedge.

6. In apparatus of the class described comprising a horizontal turretrotatably mounted on a vertical hollow column, and a plurality of headsmounted on the periphery of said turret, each of said heads comprisingsupport means and an envelope holder mounted for vertical movement onsaid support means, means for vertically moving envelope holders inheads located at diametrically opposed positions on said turretcomprising a horizontal cross arm extending diametrically across andabove said turret, said envelope holders being provided with engagementmean engageable by the adjacent ends of said cross arm, a vertical shaftextending through said hollow column and carrying said cross arm, andmeans for moving said shaft vertically to carry the ends of said crossarm into engagement with the holder-engagement means and thereby effectvertical movement of said holders.

7. In apparatus of the class described, comprising a horizontal turretrotatably mounted on a vertical hollow column, and a plurality of headsmounted on the periphery of said turret, each of said heads comprisingsupport means and an envelope holder mounted for vertical movement onsaid support means, means for vertically moving an enevlope holder in agiven head comprising a horizontal cros arm extending radially outwardfrom the center of said turret to a position adjacent said head, saidenvelope holder being provided with engagement means engageable by theouter end of said cross arm, a vertical shaft extending through saidhollow column and carrying said cross arm, and means for movingsaidshaft vertically to carry the outer end 01' said cross am intoengagement with-the holder engagement means and thereby effect verticalmovement of said holder.

8. In apparatus of the class described, comprising a horizontal turretrotatably 'mounted'on a vertical hollow column, and a head mounted atthe periphery of said turret, said head comprising supportmeans, anenvelope holder slidably mounted for vertical movement on said supportmeans, means for moving said holder between two vertically spacedpositions on said support means comprising a horizontal lever connectedat one end to said holder and mounted on a portion of said support meansfor pivotal movement in a vertical plane and having a free end extendingbeyond the point where it is mounted on said support means, spring meansurging said lever in a direction to maintain said holder in one of saidtwo vertically spaced positions, and means for moving said holder to theother of said two positions comprising a horiozntal cross arm extendingradially outward from the center of said turret to a position adjacentthe free end 01' said lever, a vertical shaft extending through saidhollow column and carrying said cross arm, and means for moving saidshaft vertically to carry the outer end of said cross arm intoengagement with the said free end of said lever and thereby eiTectvertical movement of said holder.

ARTHUR J. WHITE. ANTHONY J. MARSHAUS.

